Training wheels are additional wheels mounted parallel to the rear wheel of a bicycle that assist learners until they have developed a usable sense of balance on a bicycle. Typically, training wheels are used in beginners, such as children, to ride a bike. Conventional training wheels for bicycles typically consist of rigid brackets which are mounted onto the rear axle of a bicycle. These devices, however, provide a certain or static amount of give or flex when lateral forces are applied to the device. During a sharp turn, when the bicycle tilts significantly into the turn, the bicycle weight is transferred from the main rear wheel to the training wheel on the side on which the bicycle tilts (see FIG. 13). When the bicycle tilts excessively, the rear bicycle wheel can actually rise off the ground, as shown in FIG. 13. When this occurs, the center of gravity may extend beyond the respective training wheel, and restoring the balance against the centrifugal force becomes very difficult if not impossible, thus resulting in an increased risk of falling. A number of approaches to this problem provide more flexible training wheels that can accommodate changes in the tilting positions of the bicycle. But these approaches have generally been cumbersome, complex and expensive to manufacture.
Another problem associated with conventional training wheels it the static amount of give or flexibility that is provided by the training wheels. Since the training wheels are typically mounted onto rigid L-shaped brackets, there is little or no give or flexibility provided when the bicycle leans towards said training wheel. This can be detrimental to learning to ride a bicycle since the act of leaning and maintaining balance are fundamental concepts that must be learned when learning to ride a bicycle. Furthermore, when a beginner starts to gain proficiency in riding a bicycle, it is instructive to introduce small amounts of leaning to the beginner, so as to start the process of learning this valuable skill. This cannot be done with conventional training wheels that provide little or no give or flexibility. Consequently, conventional training wheels limit the amount a beginner can learn, once the beginner gains enough proficiency to start learning about leaning and maintaining one's balance.
Yet another problem associated with conventional training wheels is the lack of force provided by the training wheels. When the bicycle leans towards said training wheel during a turn, a static or rigid training wheel simply stops the bicycle from leaning toward said training wheel, but the training wheel does not provide a force toward the midpoint of the bicycle. Consequently, conventional training wheels are limited in their usefulness to beginners learning to maintaining their balance on a bicycle.
Consequently, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above, and particularly for improved and innovative training aids for bicycles.